"Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem" Game Review
Insane in the membrane.
Eternal Darkness is an experience that lives and dies on the many weird and unique ideas it presents. A centuries-spanning conflict between evil Lovecraftian entities and a chosen few who resist them is nothing new, yet the game keeps things fresh with a varied cast of characters and many different windows in time to play in. Is there another game that lets you play as a 2000s final girl, a Roman centurion, a Khmer warrior, and a Gulf War firefighter? I highly doubt it.
The ensemble cast is hardly the only novel element here. Much has been said about the Sanity system which continuously finds new ways to screw with the player, even if some of the meta elements are specific to technology most of us aren't using today. The magic system is also interesting, where different runic words are combined to create spells. Your spells can then be tempered with different eldritch powers to counter opposing types of enemies in a rock-paper-scissors system based on a choice you make in the beginning of the game. It's all very "out there" and it really enhances the survival horror gameplay that is relatively standard otherwise.
That said, this is not an experience without frustrations. Certain puzzles are poorly telegraphed or counter-intuitive. Combat and gameplay feels pretty clunky at times, especially in the early levels before many of your magic abilities are unlocked. By the end of its runtime, the game feels a little stretched thin.
Ultimately I think Eternal Darkness is a very unique and earnest experience that fans of survival horror need to try. Its wealth of oddball ideas more than make up for its frustrating quirks, and there is really nothing else like this out there.
3.5/5
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